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Copy deadline for the November issue of Rochester Link is 4pm on 14 October 2016. Copy to: [email protected]
Gravesend marks Pocahontas 400
see page 5
Wateringbury Primary School RededicationSaturday 24 September opened
bright and breezy, which set the tone for the Wateringbury Church of England Primary School celebrations. Marking 40 years of serving the community in their new building, the school welcomed pupils and parents along with vicars who had served the school in the past, teachers and local dignitaries. Amongst them, former head teacher Richard Arnold, local Member of Parliament Tom Tugendhat (sic) and Councillor Mark Rhodes, Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling with his wife Julie and our very own Bishop James.
The service of rededication began at 1400, carefully timed so that once the formal service was concluded, guests could enjoy high tea whilst the children played games on the school fi eld in the late September sunshine.
Welcoming guests to the day, head teacher Chasey Crawford said, “Our ‘new’ building was opened 40 years ago by the Bishop of Rochester at the time, the Right Reverend David Say. We are delighted to continue the tradition 40 years later with a rededication and blessing of the building by Bishop James Langstaff. We are proud of our place in the heart of the community: a Christian school which welcomes children of
all backgrounds and builds strong relationships with each family. Bishop James brings an important solemnity to the occasion, which is fi tting and we are honoured to welcome him to our school.”
The service opened with a rousing rendition of “Lord of all Hopefulness” which has a special place in the heart of the school because it was also sung at the original opening service in 1976 and of the new building in 1990.
Bishop James was pleased to attend the event and unveil the special plaque commemorating this special occasion in the life of the school. He said, “This is when you realise what a lot of people have been infl uenced by a school, and how important a school is to its community and the people who live there. This school will have contributed to so many lives in so many ways.”
The all-girls Wateringbury Chamber Choir sang Thomas Tallis’s Canon beautifully before former head teacher Richard Arnold concluded his reading from Proverbs and Bishop James gave the blessing. He said, “The passage from Proverbs tells us that wisdom is worth more than anything we can imagine; it’s so precious. It’s about the whole way we are as people. It’s good for the whole world. It’s good to know the wise way to act and wise ways to believe in. You know it when you bump into it!” To mark the event, Bishop James was given
hand-painted wooden cross to hang in the Bishopscourt chapel.
The children and staff of the school closed the formal service by singing “Father, we adore you” before the visitors were treated to an informal video showing staff and pupils celebrating the musical decades between 1070 and today. The fi nal words on the day go to some current pupils:
Year 6 school pupil Bethan Price (10) who enjoys art and hopes to go to Hillview school next said, “It was a bit unusual to come to school on a Saturday; I enjoyed the video the most”. Whilst year 11 pupil Alice Branca (11) who enjoys science and hopes to go to Maidstone Grammar School for Girls next said, “I never thought I would come to school on a Saturday; I liked the video - the teachers were very funny.”
Year 5 pupil Felix Wright (9) who enjoys PE and is a fast runner with the ambition to go to Maidstone Grammar School for Boys said, “I was looking forward to the video because of the dancing.”
Finally, year 5 pupil Katherine Stockham (9) who enjoys History and is very proud to have a Mum who is a school governor hopes to go to Maidstone Grammar School for Girls. She said, “I have been looking forward to today all summer. It’s been very funny seeing our Teaching Assistant in her dancing costume!”
Felix Wright
Katherine Stockham
Bethan Price
Alice Branca
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What’s On October 2016IFIELD 1-2 October Exhibition: “History of Ifield and Singlewell” at St Margaret’s Church, Church Road, 1 Field DA13 9AR, Saturday and Sunday 2:00pm - 5:00pm. Free entry, refreshments available. Ending with Harvest Festival service at 5pm on Sunday.
SEVENOAKS 2 October Listen to Garth Hewitt talk to Phil Harrison on BBC Radio Kent about his life and his upcoming concert at St Luke’s Church, Sevenoaks at 7:50am
SEVENOAKSSt Luke’s Church, Eardley Road, Sevenoaks, Lunchtime Recitals, Lasting 30 minutes. Every Wednesday at 12:30pm. Please join us – admission free. Refreshments available from 12 noonOCTOBER 5 David and Gaye Reay – Vocals and Guitar12 Hungry Town – Bluegrass from the USA **19 Mike Hatchard – Piano**26 Dave Beckett – Acoustic Guitar and Vocals** These recitals are part of St Luke’s Festival and last for 45 minutes instead of the usual 30 minutes
BEXLEYHEATH8 October Countess of Wessex String Orchestra at Christ Church, Bexleyheath at 7:00pm. Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the night. Parish Office 020 8301 5966 [email protected] BROMLEY 13-16 October at Bromley and Sheppards College, Bromley. October 13 7.:00pm The play ‘Behind the Walls’. October 14 7:00pm ‘Big Band spectacular’, by Bromley Youth Music Trust. October 15 1:00–5:00pm Display by the ‘Sealed Knot’, Hog Roast, demonstrations. October 16 5:00pm ‘The Magic of Kentish Opera’, fully staged excerpts from favourite operas. For more information, visit www.bromleyandsheppardscolleges.com
SEVENOAKS14 October Garth Hewitt Concert at St Luke’s Church, Sevenoaks at 7:30pm. Tickets in advance £5 from 01732 461087
GRAVESEND15 October Jean Stone – The American Spirit in the English Garden at 2.30pm at St George’s Church, Church Street, Gravesend DA11 0DJ. Exploration of the New World offered far reaching possibilities for the acquisition of new plants. English gardens and landscapes were transformed by an influx of American roots and through the past three centuries gardens have displayed important
links with the United States of America, including memorial gardens associated with well-remembered Americans such as Princess Pocahontas. Reflecting social history and a love of gardening, Jean Stone brings together the story of the first influx of American plant species and an important collection of gardens influenced and/or created by Americans. Tickets free from Towncentric - 18a St George’s Square, St Georges Centre, Gravesend DA11 0TB (sae with order by post, please) 01474 337600 - [email protected]
BROMLEY21 October Raising the Roof (again) with Laughter. Join us for a night of top class comedy at St Augustine’s Church, Bromley with our returning host. Doors open at 7:30pm. Tickets at £12.50 via the link on the church website www.st-augustines.org.uk or by calling Church Office on 020 8295 1550 when open.
CRAYFORD22 October The Friends of St Paulinus Jubilee Concert to be held in St Paulinus Church at 7:30 pm. Contact on 01322 557532 or [email protected]
HADLOW22 October: An Audience with Henry VIII in St Mary’s Church, Hadlow at 7:30pm. The 16th century monarch meets a 21st century audience in this acclaimed play from touring theatre company The Foundry Group. Funny, raucous, dark and moving. Tickets £10, concessions £6.50 from 01732 851519, or email: [email protected] Suitable for ages 12+. Interval refreshments.
STROOD22 October Book Sale at St Nicholas Church, High Street, Strood from 10.00 am - 12.00 noon. All books 50p
TUNBRIDGE WELLS22 October Autumn Charity Fair, at King Charles’ Hall (bottom of Warwick Park) from 10:00am to 1:00pm in aid of the Barnabas Fund and Canon Andrew White’s Fund for Persecuted Christians in Syria and Iraq. Stalls include china, glass, stationery, toys, children’s new knitwear, jewellery, toiletries, books, games and much more. Refreshments available, admission FREE.
LONDON23 October Interfaith Gathering at 2.30pm in the Friends Meeting House in St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4EA. Copies of the Week of Prayer leaflets containing readings for each day may be ordered from Sue Davis [email protected] See website: www.weekofprayerforworldpeace.com
What’s on
If you or someone you know has suffered with mental health problems, you may have seen how questions of faith can come to the fore in times of crisis. Our local mental health trust Kent and Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust, does have a small dedicated team of chaplains, but it is keen to attract new volunteer chaplaincy visitors to join the team. The ideal person would be someone who can listen to problems without feeling they need to solve them; someone whose experience of the spiritual journey means they can support another person in their own searchings. If you would like to find out more then please contact the Rev Ruth Bierbaum on: 01622 722180, or [email protected].
Volunteering Opportunity!
Congratulations to the Rev Dr Trevor Gerhardt on receiving his Doctoral degree in Education.
The correct answer for the question which instrument is featured in the photograoh on the cover of “Knowing Anna”, was Cello. Thank you for all who participated. The winners of “Knowing Anna” competition are: Gill Miller from Rochester and Chioma Obi from Bromley. The book will be with you shortly.
Children and Young people TeamThe Children and Young People Team is pleased to announce that they have moved to a new team. Cheryl Trice and Sarah Cabella will now be part of the Mission and Community Engagement Team. This is a positive move to work more cohesively in the area of mission with parishes and their engagement with families, children and young people, alongside the existing areas work of resourcing, guidance and advice. As a result of the move, information and links through the Rochester diocesan website will now to found under the mission tab – mission and community engagement.
As Us returns to the well-loved USPG, the P in our name has changed! It might seem a small change but it’s an important one. It’s the way we do mission now - inclusive, empowering, forward-looking.
FROM PROPAGATION TO PARTNERSHIP
UNITED SOCIETY PARTNERS IN THE GOSPEL
This month sees the 950th Anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. Most people of
my generation of British school children are probably aware of “1066”, even if we are not good on any other historical dates.
William of Normandy invaded England. Harold, the King, died, we were told, after being shot in the eye with an arrow; and our nation’s story was changed forever – probably changed far more than those at the time realised.
Even family stories were changed, with some people still claiming now to trace back their family line to someone “who came over with the Conqueror”.
Sometimes, there are occasions in our lives which we know will lead to future changes in our family stories as the years unfold, eg a marriage or a birth. By the time we have reached these joyful events, however, we have anticipated them and seen them coming.
Sometimes, however, the events which have changed our lives are not found in headline stories, nor have they been foreseen by us at the time. I wonder,
How many times you look back across the course of your own story and recognise that some decision you took, or some event in which you participated, proved to be very
significant for the life which lay ahead of you, and now that decision or event seems
to have been part of a pattern almost laid out for you, without you knowing it.
Some would speak of the hand of God, the providence of God, being there, without we, ourselves, realising it at the time. (You may care to read the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis to read of one person who believed that God had put him into a particular place for a particular purpose, unforeseen by him long before. Read also the Book of Esther, one of the two books in the Bible not to mention God by name, but which is very conscious of the hand of God in the outworking of events.)
There are occasions when you and I are also the very means by which the hand of God, the providence of God, carries forward the life of someone else in a way which for them is nothing less than historic.
Over the years, people have said to me that something that I had said, at some moment, or some sermon which I had preached years ago, or some action which I took in my parish ministry, had touched them and shaped them and sent them forward under God. Examples of this which have particularly moved me were where individuals have
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The hidden hand of God
Bishop James’ DiaryOctober 2016 1 Saturday 10:30am Ordination of Priests - Rochester Cathedral 3:00pm Ordination of Deacons - Rochester Cathedral2 Sunday 9:00am Sunday Worship – St Paul with All Saints, Chatham 10:00am Sunday Worship – St Paul with All Saints, Chatham 12:30pm Blessing of Attic Retreats - Companions of Christ, Chatham 3:30pm Ordination of the Rev Matthew Robinson - St John, Sevenoaks3 Monday - All Day Deanery Visit – Paddock Wood9 Sunday
5 Wednesday All Day Bishops Staff Meeting - Rochester10 Monday 12:00pm Prison Hope 2017 Launch - HMP Pentonville10 Monday Senior Leadership Development11 Tuesday Group Residential – Royal Foundation of St Katharine, London12 Wednesday All Day Housing Justice AGM - Coventry13 Thursday 9:00am Strategic Framework Meeting - Rochester Evening Meeting with French Roman Catholic Pilgrims - Aylesford Priory
14 Friday All Day Paddock Wood Deanery15 Saturday 9:00am Diocesan Synod - Christ Church, Orpington16 Sunday 10:20am Lichfield Cathedral Prison Service - Lichfield Cathedral 17 Monday - All Day Bishop’s Staff Residential19 Wednesday20 Thursday 2:00pm Founder’s Day Service - Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, Tunbridge WellsFriday 21 All Day Annual LeaveMonday 31
been drawn later, even much later, into responding to the call of God to ordination, because of something I had said, or preached or did — and at the time neither I nor they had any inkling that my words or actions had been so significant for them. Perhaps this has been your experience too.
The Biblical witness is that the hand of God does work through human history and individual lives and that he has done so with events too often unnoticed
by contemporary historical headlines. He has done so supremely through the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray that God may help us to play our part, whether knowingly or unknowingly, in the outworking of his good purposes for others — even if what we do does not attain the historical status of a date such as “1066” nor is it commemorated 950 years later.
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Gravesend marks Pocahontas 400The parish burial register of
St George’s, Gravesend from 1617 records that, on 21 March, the mortal remains of Pocahontas were laid to rest in the chancel of the church. She is described as, ‘Rebecca Wrothe wyffe of Thomas Wroth gent. A Virginia Lady borne was buried in the chauncell’.
Rebecca was the Christian name taken by the Native American Pocahontas at her baptism, probably in 1614, but it was John Rolfe she married (Thomas was her infant son).
A near contemporary recorded that, ‘[Pocahontas] came at Gravesend to her end and grave, having given great demonstration of her Christian sincerity, as the first fruits of Virginian conversion, leaving here a goodly memory, and the hopes of her resurrection.’
Pocahontas had arrived in England in June 1616 aboard the Treasurer, landing at Plymouth before making her way to London. With her were her husband and son, together with members of her tribe and the Deputy Governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas Dale. In London, she was received at court and met many notable personalities of the day. The Virginia Company of London, entrusted with settling a new colony across the Atlantic, had by then experienced a decline in its fortunes, needing fresh investors. The arrival of Pocahontas and those with her created a renewed interest.
Speculation persists as to the disease that carried Pocahontas away but the link that was formed with Gravesend on that day in March 1617 has persisted. There is a plaque in the church, and stained glass windows commemorate her baptism.
A statue in the churchyard, erected in 1958, is a copy of
one that stands at Jamestown, the site established in 1607
as the first permanent English settlement.
Many visitors from the USA and around the world, some of them descendants of Pocahontas, visit St George’s Church to remember this remarkable young woman – only 21 at the time of her death – who remains one of the most significant characters in early American history.
There will be a commemoration service of the 400th anniversary of Pocahontas’ death on 21 March next year. Before then, St George’s Church and Gravesham Borough Council have worked to bring together a special porgramme around the theme ‘Peace and Reconciliation’.
Among the events is a new play by actor and dramatist, Kieran Knowles, and schools in Gravesham and in Chesterfield County, Virginia (with which Gravesham is twinned), are looking forward to working together. Local historians are already leading popular tours of St George’s Church and Gravesend’s riverside. St George’s Church itself will be open more often over the next six months, and will host a series of concerts as well as talks on themes connected with Pocahontas.
The first of the talks, on Saturday 15 October, is by historian and author, Jean Stone, on ‘The American Spirit in the English Garden’, a recognition of the influence that America had on the development of English horticulture, including plants brought back from his travels by John Tradescant the Younger. Entry is free.
For more information, visit the website at:
www.v i s i t g rave send .co.uk/whats-on/pocahontas-400 or e-mail [email protected].
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Hakuna Matata
The Rev Andrea Leonard will be priested on 1 October
and she is a lady with a lot on her mind.Retreats, inoculations, flights and packing to name but a few. On 12 October, Andrea will be heading for Kondoa where she will stay until 12 November.
Andrea said, “This came as a complete surprise. I was walking down the Maidstone Road one sunny afternoon, yearning to be somewhere in Africa and recognising that this was impossible because I was hopefully about to be priested. Then I went to see Bishop James for my nine month review. I had worked in India, at the London City Mission, in prisons and for the NHS, so I thought maybe working with the street pastors would come my way. Bishop James said, ‘take me back to India’ and we discussed that. He then invited me to go and work in Kondoa for a month - partly because of my experience in India and partly because I don’t have any dependents - and I couldn’t help but smile at my hope on the Maidstone Road that I could serve there. It was really a God moment!”
Based at the Cathedral in Kondoa, Andrea will teach at the bible school where clergy are trained and she will also work with delegates on the Women’s Empowerment Project, in amongst other preaching responsibilities. Andrea said, “I am really looking forward to working in a different environment with a different culture. My experience from India tells me that these people inhabit a different world; they have more time and they are content with less.
They are more aware of spiritual things. Our focus on material possessions can be a bit oppressive in the end – even though we have to live in the culture where we are. The pressure on us in the West is horrendous!”
Andrea will gain first-hand experience of how the Church operates in an area with a population that is 95% Muslim. She said, “I think it will be a steep learning curve.
I am learning some Swahili before I go, and can say a few basic things, like ‘hello,’ ‘how
are you?’ and ‘Hakuna matata’ which literally means ‘no
worries’.
I am a bit worried about having to ‘fly by the seat of my pants’ though, because apparently they don’t give you too much warning about having to preach. That might be quite liberating though!”
Worried about wearing a cassock in 32 degrees, Andrea added, “Someone has volunteered to make me a cassock out of 100% cotton; I can’t tell you how grateful I am”.
We wish Andrea well for her adventures in Kondoa and look forward to hearing all about them upon her safe return. Hakuna matata!
You can discover more about our link Diocese by visiting the Overseas Links section on the diocesan website. You will find this on the drop down menu under Mission. www.rochester.anglican.org
Bromley and Sheppards College celebrates 350 years By the Rev Dr Anne Townsend
Former Mayor of Southwark, Janet Heatley, will play the
Widow Featley in “Behind the Walls”, a play to celebrate the 350th anniversary of two Kent colleges which have offered help, hope and a home to about 800 clergy widows and clergymen. Janet has lived in the colleges with her husband Cecil for ten years.
The pageant will celebrate the life of the Colleges’ founder, Bishop John Warner, whose concern about the plight of the clergy widows, inspiration and legacy enabled the building of the colleges to commence in the 1670’s.
John Warner, Bishop of Rochester, left a substantial sum of money in his will to build 20 houses to be used for “the maintenance of twenty poor widows.” These were clergy widows whose husbands had been killed in the Civil War, many of whom were left stranded and penniless. Building started
around 1670, on what would become Bromley and Sheppard’s Colleges.
As places in the original college were unable to meet the continuing need, in 1788 Mrs Helen Bettenson and Bishop Zachary Pearce left money to build a second quadrangle, providing another 20 homes, and in 1840 a legacy from Mrs Sophia Sheppard enabled another building, Sheppard’s, to be erected to accommodate homeless daughters.
During a special founders’ day ceremony, the Rev Christopher Boulton hopes to unveil and then open two new iron gates which are currently being created to replace the original gates.
A week of celebrations, which begins on 12 October, will include visits from the Sealed Knot, the Kentish Opera, the Bromley Youth Band and also offers visitors an opportunity to explore behind the walls surrounding the 350 year old, Grade One listed buildings of Bromley and Sheppard’s Colleges.
During the 350th celebration week, visitors will be able to explore some of the buildings, see a photographic record of their history, and see the new gates, buildings and pillars of ‘Bromley’s best kept secret’.
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Working togetherBy Virginia Corbyn
What do remember about your RE lessons at school?
My first memory is of Scripture lessons with Miss Crook at my Church of England primary school in Bolton. In every lesson, we listened to a Bible story and then re-wrote the story in our best handwriting with a work of art to go with the story. There was a balanced diet of the Old and New Testaments – but it was essentially a learning of Scripture. I loved Bible stories and knowing the scriptures continues to help me today in my RE advisory work for Rochester Diocese.
However, I would be the first to admit that RE has moved on immensely since my infant school days. Across our Diocese, there is a great deal of creative and exciting RE taking place on a weekly basis for the 22,000 pupils in our 88 Church of England schools. I have the privilege of seeing many teachers with knowledge, understanding and enthusiasm supporting children and young people in their learning about and their learning from the six major world faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism). Around the Diocese, there are children enjoying the outdoors as part of their RE, others are exploring the biggest of human questions, visiting places of worship of different faiths and welcoming visitors into their schools to hear about how their beliefs are lived out day by day. We are fortunate that so many of our clergy and church members are involved in the RE curriculum, in both Church and community schools across the Diocese.
However, there is still work to do to ensure that religious education continues to address the needs of the current generation at a time when less and less people in our country are actively engaged within a faith community. At the same time, news headlines can fuel the idea that religion is a negative and destructive influence in the world. A correct and balanced knowledge and understanding of religion can help to counter that view, whilst also making sure that young people are religiously and theologically literate. RE can also give them the opportunity to develop spiritually by exploring and enriching their own faith and beliefs.
Despite examples of good practice in RE, recent reports on the state of RE in schools have shown that there is a lack of a clear shared understanding of the place and purpose of RE, that more priority needs to be given to the developing of pupils’ subject knowledge, understanding and skills, that there needs to be an improvement in the consistency of the quality of planning, teaching and assessing RE, and that the leadership and governance of RE in primary schools needs to be more strategically focused on raising standards and improving provision in our schools.
The Church of England has responded quickly and practically to these findings with ‘Understanding Christianity’, a set of high quality and creative resources for 4 to 14 year olds. These resources are based on 8 key Christian concepts which present the Biblical narrative of salvation to a new generation. Over the coming school year, teachers will be trained on how to make the most of the new materials. We have asked our parish clergy to support the Education Team at the Diocese and their local schools as we engage in a fresh way with Christian theology and with the people and the Kingdom of God. Please see the diocesan and education websites or contact Virginia Corbyn if you want any more information, or visit www.understandingchristianity.org.uk
Singing Praises at St Mary’sBy Hilda Aplin
On Sunday 4 September, Gillingham native Pam
Rhodes, presenter of Songs of Praise, played host to a concert at St Mary Magdalene’s church, Gillingham, entitled “Then Sings My Soul”. The favourite ‘How Great Thou Art’ opened the concert and well-known local tenor Michael Muckleston sang “I’ll walk with God & Jerusalem.” The audience sang a collection of familiar hymns.
A self-confessed “anorak” of hymns for whom they were “prayers in your pocket”, Pam prefaced each hymn with an illustrative anecdote or two. In one cathedral, Pam
was asked by the choirmaster to sing lustily. Tongue in cheek, Pam replied, “This is Songs of Praise. We don’t have any lust,” to which another voice responded, “Well, if you don’t want it, can you send it three rows back?”.
Pam spoke movingly of Princess Diana’s death, (the 19th anniversary having just passed) and how Songs of Praise quickly arranged a live show at St Paul’s Cathedral. As the plane bringing back the body of Princess of Wales landed, the live show was on air; images of the plane and procession were relayed, with the hymns then being sung forming the aural background.
St Mary Magdalene’s church is raising funds for its reordering project, to open up the building to the community and make it a more versatile and welcoming place. May I thank all those who supported the event on Sunday. We raised over £400 after expenses.
8 ochester Link
Celebrate the hope of Christ. Celebrate Christingle
The Children’s Society’s Christingle celebrations have brought hope to thousands of
children’s lives for the past 48 years. Last year, hundreds of churches and schools in the Diocese of Rochester took part in this wonderful event, raising more than
£40,000 in support of our work with vulnerable children and young people.
For many of the children we work with, receiving support from one of our project
workers is the first time they’ve had someone to listen to them and ensure that their
voice is heard. By taking part this year, you can help us reach even more children who
desperately need us whilst bringing your whole church and community together in
worship. The bright colours, sweet smells and candlelight in the dark never fail to warm
the hearts of children and adults alike at a time of year that can often lose its true
meaning amidst the hustle and bustle.
To find out more about the work we do, and to order your free
Christingle resources, visit christingle.org/rochester
© The Children¹s Society 2016 Charity Registration No. 221124 XTC051/0916
‘ A wonderful evening and a great opportunity to outreach to our local community and speak of God’s love for us, expressed so perfectly in Jesus.’
XTC51_Christingle 2016 Adverts_Rochester Link Newspaper_V1.indd 1 15/09/2016 16:39
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RememberingBy the Rev Canon Bryan Knapp
On 1 July 1916 a young officer, who had just celebrated his
21st birthday, was crouching in his trench at La Boisselle, outside Albert, in the Somme region of France, waiting to go over the top. The officer’s name was Raymond Eason and he, along with other young men from his town in Grimsby, responded to the call (issued by his father who was the local Mayor) to form a ‘pals group’ attached to the Lincolnshire Regiment. They became known as The Grimsby Chums.
Soon after the mine had exploded nearby, the whistles blew, and Raymond led his men over the top, but was immediately mown down by enemy machine-gun fire. Today he is buried at Gordon’s Dump, in one of the Commonwealth War Grave Commissions cemeteries just outside the village of La Boisselle.
His great niece is the Rev Rachael Knapp, Chaplain at Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, Tunbridge Wells, and this summer she was able to lead a service of Remembrance at the Thiepval Memorial. From July to November the Royal British Legion is holding a daily Act of Remembrance at the Memorial as part of the 100th Anniversary commemorations of the Battle of the Somme. The Thiepval Memorial is the largest Commonwealth war memorial in the world. It commemorates more than 72,000 men who died in the
Somme sector between 1915 and March 1918, more than 90 percent of them during the 1916 battle.
On an overcast, August lunchtime, Rachael was joined by veterans from a Welsh Regiment doing a tour of the battle fields, and other individuals who had come to remember long-lost relatives from the First World War. Rachael said, “It was a privilege to take part in the service and I did so to honour the memory of my Great Uncle. When faced with the huge scale of the losses from The Somme it can be hard to comprehend the numbers, but recalling my family’s story can help bring the reality of it all home. I remembered that my Granny, throughout her life, always kept a photograph of Raymond in his uniform on her desk; as I took part in the service that image was at the front of mind.”
Forty Years of CaringBy the Rev Canon Bryan Knapp
This year St Andrew, Paddock Wood is celebrating 40 years
since the opening of its Fair Trade Shop. When it first opened, back in 1976, it was known as the Care and Share Shop, the idea of Sheila Mutler who has always been at the forefront of new ideas to help others.
She began holding what became known as Nearly New Sales. Her initial idea grew from the fact that so many perfectly good and almost new clothes were being discarded because children grow so fast, and therefore their clothes nolonger fitted. The idea rapidly mushroomed to include many other items and, although to start with clothes were sorted in her house, it soon became obvious that more space was needed.
So began the Care and Share Shop; staffed by volunteers from the start, it initially stocked clothes and bric-a-brac but gradually began to sell “fairly traded items” sourced by Sheila from Traidcraft. When it first opened it was the only charity shop in the country apart from Oxfam. Hard to believe maybe in these days when there are so many charity shops.
Its aim has always been to help others. Selling fairly traded items produced by those in need abroad and at home enables us to give money to organisations that help others too. Over the past ten years over £66,000 has been given to a mixture of home charities including the Kenword Trust, Crossways and the Bridge Trust, as well as overseas such as Practical Action, Tools for Self Reliance, ROPE, HART, Shelter Box and MAF.
Over the years the shop grew, eventually becoming a part of the new Church Complex in late 1996. After carrying the banner for over 25 years, Sheila handed over the management of the shop to a committee, and it was decided that the name the Fair Trade Shop more accurately reflected what the enterprise had become.
New ideas continue to be introduced. The shop has now over 45 volunteer staff, and stocks a wide variety of Fair Trade items (a
concept unheard of in 1976) from chocolate to household cleaners, as wells as beautiful jewellery and scarves, whilst continuing to offer ‘nearly new’ clothes, books and household items.
A new venture, introduced by the current manager Katharine Garland, has been the Guest Artist of the Month giving local craftspeople the opportunity to showcase their wares, ranging from paintings to homemade jams and lots more in between.
A long standing and very popular event is the famous Christmas Event which this year takes place on Saturday 12 November.
The Fairtrade shop is like the parable of the Mustard Seed. From that one initial thought it has grown and grown and provided help and support for so many in the UK and abroad, in so many different ways. We praise God for its ministry and for the original idea.
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IntercessionsRochester Diocese -October 2016
Saturday 1 October Remigius, bishop, 533. Anthony Ashley Cooper (Earl of Shaftesbury), social reformer, 1885Ember DayRochester Diocese: For the ordinations this weekend.
Sunday 2 OctoberRochester Diocese: For the newly ordained in our Diocese and their receiving parishes.
Monday 3 October George Bell, Bishop, ecumenist, peacemaker, 1958Rochester Diocese: Pray for our Archdeacons, meeting today as an area group.
Tuesday 4 October Francis of Assisi, friar, deacon, 1226Rochester Diocese: Tunbridge Wells, St Peter, Vicar: The Rev Mike Warren
Wednesday 5 OctoberRochester Diocese: Tunbridge Wells, St Philip, Vicar: The Rev Richard Thomas
Thursday 6 October William Tyndale, translator, martyr, 1536Rochester Diocese: Anerley, Christ Church and St Paul, Team Rector: The Rev Matthew Fitter
Friday 7 OctoberRochester Diocese: Beckenham, Christ Church, Vicar: The Rev Rob Hinton
Saturday 8 OctoberRochester Diocese: For people with various forms of word blindness, and for the illiterate and semiliterate.
Sunday 9 OctoberRochester Diocese: Prison chaplains in this Diocese and for the Rev Michael Kavanagh, Chaplain-General of Prisons.
Monday 10 October Paulinus, bishop, missionary, 644, Thomas Traherne, poet, spiritual writer, 1674Rochester Diocese: For the launch of Prison Hope 2017
Tuesday 11 October Ethelburga, abbess, 675, James the Deacon, companion of Paulinus, 7th cent.Rochester Diocese: Beckenham, Holy Trinity, Vicar: The Rev Dr Nick Read
Wednesday 12 October Wilfrid, bishop, missionary, 709, Elizabeth Fry, prison reformer, 1845, Edith Cavell, nurse 1915Rochester Diocese: Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Group, Bishop’s Advisor: Mrs Janice Keen
Thursday 13 October Edward the Confessor, king, 1066Rochester Diocese: Beckenham, St Barnabas, Priest-in-Charge: The Rev Tim Hide
Friday 14 OctoberRochester Diocese: Beckenham, St George, Rector: The Rev Jeremy BlundenSaturday 15 October Teresa of Avila, teacher of the faith, 1582Rochester Diocese: Beckenham, St James and St Michael with St Augustine, Vicar: The Rev Leon Carberry
Sunday 16 OctoberRochester Diocese: Paddock Wood Deanery, The Rev Canon Bryan Knapp, Rural Dean; Mr John Kirby, Lay Chair.
Monday 17 October Ignatius, bishop, martyr, c.107Rochester Diocese: Beckenham, St John the Baptist, Vicar: The Rev Liz Lander
Tuesday 8 October Luke the EvangelistRochester Diocese: Hospital and other healthcare chaplains in the Diocese
Wednesday 19 October Henry Martyn, translator, missionary, 1812Rochester Diocese: Beckenham, St Paul, Vicar: The Rev Vince Short
Thursday 20 OctoberRochester Diocese: Penge, St John, Priest-in-Charge: The Rev Matthew Fitter
Friday 21 OctoberRochester Diocese: Shortlands, St Mary, Vicar: The Rev Morag Finch
Saturday 22 OctoberRochester Diocese: For people with speech impediments and difficulties hearing.
Sunday 23 OctoberRochester Diocese: Rochester Deanery, The Rev Canon Penny Foreman, Area Dean; Mr Rob Mills, Lay Chair.
Monday 24 OctoberRochester Diocese: Bickley, St George, Vicar: The Rev Richard Norman
Tuesday 25 October Crispin and Crispinian, martyrs, c.287Rochester Diocese: Biggin Hill, St Mark, Vicar: The Rev Alison Newman
Wednesday 26 October Alfred, king, scholar, 899, Cedd, abbot, bishop, 664Rochester Diocese: Bromley, Christ Church, Vicar: The Rev Iain Broomfield
Thursday 27 OctoberRochester Diocese: Bromley, St Andrew, Vicar: The Rev Julie Bowen
Friday 28 October Simon and Jude, ApostlesRochester Diocese: Bromley, St John the Evangelist, Vicar: The Rev Andrew McClellan
Saturday 29 October James Hannington, bishop, martyr, 1885Rochester Diocese: For all those whose own skin is a source of distress and discomfort to them.
Sunday 30 October 4th Sunday before Advent All Saints Sunday Rochester Diocese: Rochester Cathedral: The Very Rev’d Dr Philip Hesketh, Dean.
Monday 31 October Martin Luther, reformer, 1546Rochester Diocese: Pray for our brothers and sisters in the Lutheran family of churches.
Lord, have mercy upon usBy the Rev Lindsay Llewellyn-MacDuff, Bishop’s chaplain.
There is a tradition among icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, called Eleousa, or in English, Our Lady of loving kindness.
The key ‘genre’ indicator is that mother and child are cheek to cheek, but often, the child Jesus is clutching at Mary, grabbing hold of her clothes, foot in her sleeve (any of us who have held an enthusiastic toddler will know the feeling). It is as though the child Jesus cannot get enough of Mary, cannot be too close to her. The Eleousa is a portrait of the God who yearns for us.
It has lately been pointed out to me that
Eleousa is the same root word as Eleison, as in kyrie eleison, one of the oldest prayers of the church. It is usually translated, ‘Lord, have mercy upon us’, but we might translate it, according to the theology of the Eleousa, ‘Lord, be kind to us’.
Lord, be yourself to us: reach for us, hold us, save us: pull us back to you.
The calendar of prayer for the Diocesan Fellowship of Pray-ers may be found on the diocesan website (http://www.rochester.anglican.org/ - ‘Praying the Way’ under the ministry menu). The Diocesan Fellowship of Pray-ers also available for intercession for particular needs that arise suddenly. Please contact the Bishop’s chaplain who can pass on your prayer request.
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IntercessionsRochester Diocese -October 2016
Saturday 1 October Remigius, bishop, 533. Anthony Ashley Cooper (Earl of Shaftesbury), social reformer, 1885Ember DayRochester Diocese: For the ordinations this weekend.
Sunday 2 OctoberRochester Diocese: For the newly ordained in our Diocese and their receiving parishes.
Monday 3 October George Bell, Bishop, ecumenist, peacemaker, 1958Rochester Diocese: Pray for our Archdeacons, meeting today as an area group.
Tuesday 4 October Francis of Assisi, friar, deacon, 1226Rochester Diocese: Tunbridge Wells, St Peter, Vicar: The Rev Mike Warren
Wednesday 5 OctoberRochester Diocese: Tunbridge Wells, St Philip, Vicar: The Rev Richard Thomas
Thursday 6 October William Tyndale, translator, martyr, 1536Rochester Diocese: Anerley, Christ Church and St Paul, Team Rector: The Rev Matthew Fitter
Friday 7 OctoberRochester Diocese: Beckenham, Christ Church, Vicar: The Rev Rob Hinton
Saturday 8 OctoberRochester Diocese: For people with various forms of word blindness, and for the illiterate and semiliterate.
Sunday 9 OctoberRochester Diocese: Prison chaplains in this Diocese and for the Rev Michael Kavanagh, Chaplain-General of Prisons.
Monday 10 October Paulinus, bishop, missionary, 644, Thomas Traherne, poet, spiritual writer, 1674Rochester Diocese: For the launch of Prison Hope 2017
Tuesday 11 October Ethelburga, abbess, 675, James the Deacon, companion of Paulinus, 7th cent.Rochester Diocese: Beckenham, Holy Trinity, Vicar: The Rev Dr Nick Read
Wednesday 12 October Wilfrid, bishop, missionary, 709, Elizabeth Fry, prison reformer, 1845, Edith Cavell, nurse 1915Rochester Diocese: Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Group, Bishop’s Advisor: Mrs Janice Keen
Thursday 13 October Edward the Confessor, king, 1066Rochester Diocese: Beckenham, St Barnabas, Priest-in-Charge: The Rev Tim Hide
Friday 14 OctoberRochester Diocese: Beckenham, St George, Rector: The Rev Jeremy BlundenSaturday 15 October Teresa of Avila, teacher of the faith, 1582Rochester Diocese: Beckenham, St James and St Michael with St Augustine, Vicar: The Rev Leon Carberry
Sunday 16 OctoberRochester Diocese: Paddock Wood Deanery, The Rev Canon Bryan Knapp, Rural Dean; Mr John Kirby, Lay Chair.
Monday 17 October Ignatius, bishop, martyr, c.107Rochester Diocese: Beckenham, St John the Baptist, Vicar: The Rev Liz Lander
Tuesday 8 October Luke the EvangelistRochester Diocese: Hospital and other healthcare chaplains in the Diocese
Wednesday 19 October Henry Martyn, translator, missionary, 1812Rochester Diocese: Beckenham, St Paul, Vicar: The Rev Vince Short
Thursday 20 OctoberRochester Diocese: Penge, St John, Priest-in-Charge: The Rev Matthew Fitter
Friday 21 OctoberRochester Diocese: Shortlands, St Mary, Vicar: The Rev Morag Finch
Saturday 22 OctoberRochester Diocese: For people with speech impediments and diffi culties hearing.
Sunday 23 OctoberRochester Diocese: Rochester Deanery, The Rev Canon Penny Foreman, Area Dean; Mr Rob Mills, Lay Chair.
Monday 24 OctoberRochester Diocese: Bickley, St George, Vicar: The Rev Richard Norman
Tuesday 25 October Crispin and Crispinian, martyrs, c.287Rochester Diocese: Biggin Hill, St Mark, Vicar: The Rev Alison Newman
Wednesday 26 October Alfred, king, scholar, 899, Cedd, abbot, bishop, 664Rochester Diocese: Bromley, Christ Church, Vicar: The Rev Iain Broomfi eld
Thursday 27 OctoberRochester Diocese: Bromley, St Andrew, Vicar: The Rev Julie Bowen
Friday 28 October Simon and Jude, ApostlesRochester Diocese: Bromley, St John the Evangelist, Vicar: The Rev Andrew McClellan
Saturday 29 October James Hannington, bishop, martyr, 1885Rochester Diocese: For all those whose own skin is a source of distress and discomfort to them.
Sunday 30 October 4th Sunday before Advent All Saints Sunday Rochester Diocese: Rochester Cathedral: The Very Rev’d Dr Philip Hesketh, Dean.
Monday 31 October Martin Luther, reformer, 1546Rochester Diocese: Pray for our brothers and sisters in the Lutheran family of churches.
Lord, have mercy upon usBy the Rev Lindsay Llewellyn-MacDuff, Bishop’s chaplain.
There is a tradition among icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, called Eleousa, or in English, Our Lady of loving kindness.
The key ‘genre’ indicator is that mother and child are cheek to cheek, but often, the child Jesus is clutching at Mary, grabbing hold of her clothes, foot in her sleeve (any of us who have held an enthusiastic toddler will know the feeling). It is as though the child Jesus cannot get enough of Mary, cannot be too close to her. The Eleousa is a portrait of the God who yearns for us.
It has lately been pointed out to me that Eleousa is the same root word as Eleison,
as in kyrie eleison, one of the oldest prayers of the church. It is usually translated, ‘Lord, have mercy upon us’, but we might translate it, according to the theology of the Eleousa, ‘Lord, be kind to us’.
Lord, be yourself to us: reach for us, hold us, save us: pull us back to you.
The calendar of prayer for the Diocesan Fellowship of Pray-ers may be found on the diocesan website (www.rochester.anglican.org/ - ‘Praying the Way’ under the ministry menu). The Diocesan Fellowship of Pray-ers also available for intercession for particular needs that arise suddenly. Please contact the Bishop’s chaplain who can pass on your prayer request.
12 ochester Link
Our Conversation; Our FutureBy the Rt Rev James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester
This month at our Diocesan Synod we launch ‘Our Conversation; Our Future’.
As the title suggests, this is an opportunity for us to discuss together the future shape and direction of mission and ministry in our Diocese, taking time to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying.
Our Conversation; Our Future is part of our process to develop a strategic framework for the Diocese. Some people recoil when strategy is mentioned, particularly in a church context. I understand (and indeed share) this apprehension, but in the world in which we live, I think it is good and helpful to think clearly and prayerfully about how we will work for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom in our midst. We seek to discern the will of God in all that we do, and therefore I am asking everyone in the Diocese to engage with Our Conversation; Our Future prayerfully and with an open heart.
A diocesan strategic framework isn’t new. As recently as 1954 the Diocese of Rochester published ‘Your Diocese’, a sepia-tinged document setting out the circumstances and future opportunities for the area. Those opportunities included massive new housing developments throughout south east London, Kent and Medway. The diocesan leaders of the time saw the opportunity and grasped it, setting out an ambitious plan to build twenty church buildings. Through God’s power, these were all completed, and now play an important part in the life and work of God’s people.
Our Conversation; Our Future is an opportunity for us to respond to the cultural, economic and spiritual changes that society is undergoing and especially the need to develop a coherent and shared vision for mission, through evangelism and social action, that demonstrates the coming Kingdom of God in the midst of such uncertainty and flux. This is an era when many Christian people feel more isolated and less sure of how to express their faith in a hard and unyielding culture, but this is not a task each is called to alone. The Church exists to give shape, meaning and voice to Christian identity; the Diocese of Rochester helps to give regional expression to this for Anglicans.
The Bigger Picture
During my recent trip to our partner Dioceses in Kondoa, Mpwapwa and Harare, I was struck by the strong signs of growth. New congregations are being formed, and many
are being baptised and confirmed. In Kondoa, this growth is in a majority Muslim community, where many parishes, and the Bishop, live a hand-to-mouth existence. The church is engaged in projects such as a kindergarten in Kondoa Cathedral parish which will generate income, this will in turn build resilience and lead to sustainability.
Closer to home, in the Church of England nationally an ambitious programme of Renewal & Reform is underway. This builds on three goals articulated by General Synod in 2010 to:
• Contribute as the national church to the common good• Facilitate the growth of the church in numbers and depth of discipleship• Re-imagine the church’s ministry
Renewal & Reform seeks to build on great work, and not to duck the serious challenges we face.
Our opportunities
The south east of England is once again experiencing population growth, and plans for new homes, schools and workplaces in Ebbsfleet are significantly advanced. The community at Kings Hill, near West Malling, was established over 20 years ago, but continues to expand. Large housing developments are also planned in other areas. How do we provide a ‘Christian presence’ in these places? Is the traditional response to build a church and provide a vicar the ‘right’ one?
A decade ago my mobile phone was able to call people, and send text messages. Today, through social media I can use it to broadcast my thoughts and opinions to thousands of people; I can video-call from anywhere in the world; I can keep up with world events. Occasionally I even use it to make calls! This is just one example of technological leaps. How do we use these for the Good News of Jesus?
How do we learn from the churches within our Diocese running food banks, homeless shelters, or credit unions? Is there a better way to share knowledge and experience of discipleship courses, of prayer events, of lay ministry, or vocations?
Within this, we also need to ask God to reveal to us the things we are not doing which we could be, and the things we are doing which we should stop.
I know that these are bold questions, and we may not agree on the answers. My hope is that by engaging in conversation we can understand each other better and grow a shared direction for the years ahead.
Engage
To ask everyone to talk about everything and tell me what they think would be an endless and impossible process. Our Conversation; Our Future asks just three questions:
• What may the Holy Spirit be saying to us about our area?• What do we currently spend our energy and resources on?• What do we need to change about who we are and what we do?
From now until Easter 2017 we will be asking these questions at as many meetings and forums as we can, seeking to engage as wide and deep as we can with people connected to us.
You are welcome to respond individually to these questions via our website.
We have also produced a Toolkit resource, with ideas to help you in local churches and church groups in interesting and sometimes creative ways. You can download the toolkit from the diocesan website www.rochester.anglican.org
In 2017 we will be launching a diocesan Lent Course which will encourage us all to set aside time to listen and respond to the Holy Spirit, to explore the culture around us and find our own role within it.
What’s Next?
All of this praying, listening and talking is all well and good, you may say, but what are going to do with all this information?
Once we have involved as many people as possible from across the Diocese, I will be inviting a smaller group of people to distil a lot what we have heard into something intelligible. There is some precedent for this. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit made the word of God accessible to all who needed to hear it. In the early chapters of Revelation, Jesus spoke pertinently and challengingly into the contexts of several regional churches, with specificity about their personal circumstances.
I expect the final strategic framework to provide a scaffold for us to build upon, rather than detailed blueprints. It will help us understand and celebrate the diversity of our Diocese. It will provide us with a focus, and an outline to make decisions. The resulting document will be launched in November 2017. This might sound like a long process, but I feel it is important that we spend time talking and listening to each other and to God. We invest this time and energy now, in order to be able to reap the harvest in the years to come.
Photo by Neil Harris
